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This booklet has been prepared to provide community feedback from the first wave of Footprints in Time, the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), undertaken by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).
We would like to thank the parents and families who continue to participate in the Footprints in Time study. By allowing us to be part of your child’s life, we will learn what makes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children grow up strong. We are committed to a study that is transparent, respectful and appropriate.
Special thanks go to members of the LSIC Steering Committee who have provided expert advice to assist in the study’s development. Many of the members gave their time freely outside of committee meetings and their support to the FaHCSIA research team has been genuinely and greatly appreciated.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank the research team who is out there knocking on doors and getting to know you and your family and collecting data.
Behind this data are true, living stories, showing the commitment parents and families have to grow up their children strong. As the years go by and we continue to interview Footprints in Time families, we will develop a clear picture of how the children are growing up.
There is enormous support for Footprints in Time across our study sites and a great deal of interest in the data from policy makers, researchers, service delivery agencies, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Ethics approval for this study has been obtained through the Department of Health and Ageing’s Ethics Committee, and state and territory Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs).
Permission has been granted for the reproduction of all photographs and quotes contained in this booklet.